Magnesium, 75% lighter than steel and 33% lighter than aluminum, can be heated in a variety of processes (like forging and casting) and formed into precise, rigid shapes including metal sheets. Magnesium sheet metal offers a number of potential applications, especially in aerospace and automotive manufacturing (e.g., inner door and body panels, deck lids and other components in the latter, in addition to the manufacture of high performance magnesium alloy wheels).

"Some of the existing infrastructure for making magnesium sheet dates back to World War Two when it was made for airplanes," said Dr. Paul Krajewski, Director of the Vehicle Systems Research Laboratory at General Motors Global Research and Development. Wider use of magnesium in automobiles can have both an economic and environmental impact, as lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles help lower carbon dioxide emissions. (GM has been a pioneer in the use of lightweight magnesium sheet metal, and has patented a hot forming process for metal alloy sheets.) "We are now seeing an evolution of both the alloys and the material processing technology that can truly drive the costs down,"
says Dr. Krajewski.

A recent research report, Global Magnesium Sheet Metal Market Research Report 2017 – 2021, segmented by applications and products, analyzes and estimates data regarding the business sector for magnesium sheet metal from a global perspective.
The business has been measured in terms of volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ million) during the forecast period 2017 to 2021, and considers the impact of market drivers and limitations on the demand for magnesium sheet metal in the same timeframe.

Market information has been incorporated from interviews with market stakeholders and through investigation of organization sites, yearly reports, stock analysis presentations, and press releases.

The report spotlights worldwide supply and demand for the product, emphasizing statistics related to export and imports and a complete profile of the upstream raw materials and downstream demand chains.